Firearm



G. HAMMOND.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1,1917- Patented Nov. 16, 192i).

IN VEN TOR.

TTORNEY.

GRANT HAMMOND, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, -ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ALVA C. W'ASI-IBURNE, F PITTSFIELID, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD TO FREDERICK G. CRANE,

0F DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIREARM.

Application filed December 1 1917.

To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that I, GRANT HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the count-y of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Firearm, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of firearms that are manually held and discharged from the person, and an object of my inven tion, among others, is to provide a firearm of this type that shall be exceedingly simple in its construction, and at the same time, particularly one that may be readily taken apart and put together, and especially one in which a loaded magazine may be readily inserted with little delay, and which firearm 'iseifective in its operation. 7

One form of such device embodying my invention and in the construction .and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Wl1lCh- Figure l is a view in side elevation oi the upper rear portion of a firearm embodying my invention, with parts broken away to show construction.

Fig. 2 is a. bottom view of the receiver and the breech-bolt contained thereln, with parts broken away to show construction.

' Fig. 3 is a rear end vlew of the upper part of my improved firearm. n

Fig. t is a detail bottom view of the re ceiver and breech-bolt with parts broken away to show construction and illustrating a. slightly different form of breechbolt retainer. Y

Fig. 5 is a view in cross section on the plane denoted by dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 41

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 7 indicates the'handle portion of the frame 8 of my improved firearm, 9 the trig- Q'QI' guard, 10 the trigger, 11 the receiver, ind 12 the barrel thereof, all of which parts nav be of any suitable and desired construc- Lion and which, of themselves, form no part )i my present invention. 7 7

.My invention provides a breech-bolt of :Xceedingly simple construction and means vhereby said breech-bolt and some COHHGCCGQ arts of a firearm of the type herein illus, rated and described may be readily re moved for any purpose desired, anditalso Specification of Letters Patent.

' breeclrbolt.

, Patented Nov. 16, 1920. Serial No. 204,923.

provides means, acting in cooperation with the firing mechanism, to permit the rapid insertion of'a loaded magazine with a minimum amount otdelay in the action of firing incident to the supply. of a new magazine, this latter result being effected byspecial means for automatically ejecting an'empty magazine and for catching and holding the breech-bolt in its rearward position after the last cartridge has been fired, which parts are automatically released upon inserting a loaded magazine in place.

In that form of the device embodying my invention illustrated and described herein, a breech-bolt 13 is. slidably mounted in a breech-bolt chamber 14 in the receiver. The breech-bolt is generally round in cross section for a distance backwardly from its front end, from which point it is cut away on one side as at 15, the chamber 14 being formed in cross section to correspond with thisshape of the breech-bolt, for some distance forwardly from its rear end. This cutting away of the breech-bolt provides a stop shoulder 16 thereon that is positioned to strike a rear wall 17 of the-chamber to limit the back- 'ward movement of the breech-bolt. The opposite side parts of the back end of the breech-bolt are roughened as at 18 to serve as a means for manually moving the breechbolt backwardly.

The receiver, at its back end, is narrower than the main part thereof, this narrow portion 19 being of a width substantially equal to that of the roughened part 18 ofthe The opening comprising the chamber 1% is of a size in cross section at its forward end to permit the breech-bolt to be removed from this end of the receiver, the barrel 12 being secured in this end of the opening comprising the breech-bolt chamber in any suitable manner, as shown herein screw threads being employed for this purpose.

The other parts of the firing mechanism comprising the connection between the trigger and hammer and the parts immediately borne by the breech-bolt, including its retracting spring, maybe constructed as desired, a very efiicient form of construction being illustrated and described in my copending application filed concurrently herewith, and serially numbered 204,921.

of the magaz Thereceiver 11 is en a ed with the u Jper end of the frame 8 as by means of lips 20 projecting from the inner side parts of the lower edge of the receiver into grooves 21 in the upper T-shaped end of said frame, and as clearly shown in Figs; 3 and 5 of the drawings. from lower part thereof ceivcr' retracting spring this recess and thrusts against a receiver rctracting plunger 24 also located in the recess and thrusting with its back end against a plunger holder 25 in the form of a pro.- jection from a holder plate 26 secured within a slot 27 in'the receiver and upper end of the frame. The, back part of the plunger 24 is slotted to receive the holder 25, and said plunger is movably retained in said recess as by means of a plunger retain ing pin 28 secured to the receiver and projecting across the recess at one side thereof and through an elongated cut-away portion in one side of said plunger, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This construction enables the receiver to have a slight backward movement on the frame caused. by the forces of recoil independently of the plunger 24, the latter being held by the projection 25. spring 23 that serves to return the receiver to its forward position when said force is removed. I

The handle 7 contains a magazine cham ber 29 for a magazine30, and in order that the firearm may be quickly loaded, that is, that a magazine filled with cartridges may be inserted, with little interruption of the firing operation, I provide means for retain.- ing the breech-bolt in its backward position when the magazine is removed, my invention contemplating a'magazine that shall be automatically ejected when the last cartridge has been fired in the firearm, the preback end of the receiver near the and at one side and a recise means, however, for ejecting the magazine forming, of itself, no part of my invention.

In order to illustrate the invention formingthe subject matter hereof I have shown a magazine catch and release heretofore invented by me and that, briefly stated, includes a spring detent 31 on the side of the magazine adapted to press against a cartridge 32 within, or the follower 33 of the magazine, this detent holding a releasing lever 34 engaged with catch operating plunger seated upon a spring in the handle or frame and having cam notch to engage a tail 36 of a magazine catch 37, the

nose of which enters a notch in the edge 'ne as plainly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the follower springs upwardly beyond. the upper end of the detent 31, the latter springs inwardly, releasing the lever 34, and the plunger A recess 22 extends inwardly 23 is located in This movement compresses thev vward movement of the breech-bolt after it moves backwardly under the force of explosion of the last cartridge, and to this end I provide a breech-bolt retainer 38 that is pivotally mounted in a slot in the side of the receiver, one end of the retainer being preferably formed as a thumb piece 39 and a spring 40 being located in a recess underneath the thumb piece and pressingthis end of the retainer outwardly and its opposite end inwardly. r

A breech-bolt catch 41 projects from the retainer in position to be located in the path of movement of a part of the breech-bolt after the latter has been moved backwardly V a sufficient distance to engage such catch. In one of the preferred forms of construction, and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a groove 42 is formed in the under surface of the breech-bolt, such groove providing a shoulder 43 affording a stop surface to receive the thrust of ane ector 44 on the retainer, the catch 41 being.

preferably located just back of said ejector.

A retaining notch 45 may be formed at the end of the surface or shoulder 43 to'receive' the catch 41, in the construction herein shown a groove 46 in the opposite side of the under surface of the breech-bolt from the J groove 42 providing a rib 47 on the under surface of the breech-bolt against the endof which the catch 41 may engage or in which the retaining notch 45 is formed. It will be understood that the action of the parts above described occurs whenever a magazine 30 is removed, or partially removed, from its proper position in the magazine chamber in the frame, and the construction is especially applicablein any case where the magazine is automatically ejected from the frame. When the magazine is in place in the frame the ejector44 will be received within the groove 42, but against the side of the upper edge of the magazine, asshown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and when the In the operation of the device, a magazine having been automatically ejected, or otherwise removed from its proper location in the frame, if a cartridge be fired, the breechand the breech-bolt'catch willretain it in this position. When a magazine with cartridges therein is now inserted, one of the lips 51 on such magazine will engage the beveled part of the ejector 44 and swing the catch to disengage it from the breech-bolt and the latter will be forced to its closed position, in this .movement engaging a cartridge in the magazine and forcing it into the breech in the barrel in a manner that will be readily understood, and the firearm is thus in condition for immediate firing. It will thus be seen that in rapid work a magazine will be ejected immediately upon the last cartridge therefrom being fired and it will be necessary only to reinsert a magazine filled with cartridges and the firing mechanism will automatically be placed in condition for immediate firing just assoon as the magazine reaches its proper position in the firearm.

The structure shown. in Figs. l and 5 is the same as that illustrated in the other three figures of the drawings, with the exception of the breech-bolt catch which has the function of a catch only. In this struc ture' tie catch is pivoted near its front end and is spring pressed into the path of movement of the breech-bolt as in the case of the catch hereinbefore described, a catch projection or lip 49 having its end 50 located in the groove 2 in the breech-bolt in position to snap into the path of the breech-bolt when the front end of the latter passes back of said catch and themagazine is not in its proper position in the frame.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the de vice shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

I claim- V j l. A firearm including a frame having a breechbolt chamber therein and with an opening from the rear end thereof generally round in cross section but straight on one side, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a projection generally round in cross section but fiat on one side to fit said opening and sliding in contact there with, and a barrel secured to the front end of the breech-bolt chamber to retain the breech-bolt therein.

2. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein and reduced in width at its upper rear end, providing recesses on opposite sides for access to a breech-bolt, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and reduced in width at its rear end to correspond to the width of the rein cross section as to duced part of the frame, anda barrel securedin the front end of the breech-bolt chamber to close said breech-bolt chamber.

3. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein generally round in cross section and an opening from said chamber through the rear end of the frame, said opening being shaped with a straight wall on one side to provide a shoulder within the chamber, said frame being reduced in 'width at its upper rear end at the part containing the straight wall, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and generally round its front portion but reduced in width as to its rear portion to fit the opening in said chamber and produce a stop to contact. with the shoulder in said chamber, and a barrel secured in the front end of the breech-bolt chamber and retaining the breech-bolt therein.

4.. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a receiver having a recess extending inwardly from its rear end at the lower part thereof, a spring located in said recess to return the receiver to its forward posi tion, a holder plate removably secured in a slot in the frame of the firearm, and a projection rising from said plate to receive the thrust of said spring. 1

- 5. A. firing mechanism for a firearm including a receiver having a recess extending inwardly from its rear end at the lower side part thereof, a spring located in said recess, a plunger seated against said spring, a holder plate removably secured in a slot in the frame of the firearm, and a prong proj ectingupwardly from said plate into a slot in said plunger to resist the thrust of said spring.

6. firlng mechanism for a firearm including a breech-bolt movably mounted in the frame and having a rib on the under side thereof comprising the side of a groove having a shoulder at the end thereof, and a breech-bolt retainer movably mounted in the frame and having a part to always rest against said rib and within said groove when the breech-bolt is in place, said retainer being movable to place said part in the path of movement of said shoulder at the end of the groove in the breech-bolt, and said retainer having means to be en aged by a magazine upon insertion into the rame whereby the retainer is removed from the path of the breech-bolt.

7. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a breech-bolt movably mounted in the frame thereof and having a rib on its under surface comprising the side of a groove having a shoulder at the end thereof, and a breech-bolt retainer movable mounted on the frame and having a part to be always located in said groove when the breech-bolt is in place, and consequently in the path of said shoulder at the end of said groove in the breech-bolt said retainer also having an ejector adapted to rest against said rib and to be engaged by a magazine upon the insertion of the latter into said frame. a

8. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a receiver having a recess extending inwardly from its end near one edge, a frame on which the receiver is mounted, said frame having a groove extending inwardly from its end in vertical alinement with said recess, a holder plate removably secured in said groove and extending underneath the receiver, and a projection extending from said plate into line with said recess.

9. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a frame, a receiver mounted on the frame and having a recess extending inwardly from its end, said frame having a slot extending inwardly from its end and in vertical alinement with said recess, a plate located in said slot, a projection from said plate extending into longitudinal alinement with said recess, and a plunger located in said recess and having a slot to receive said projection. V

10. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a breech-bolt movably mounted in the frame of the firearm and having a rib located on its under side comprising the sides of grooves in its under surface on opposite sides thereof to receive the upper edge of a magazine, one of said grooves terminating in a shoulder at one end, and :a breech-bo1t retaining lever pivotall mounted to extend into said shouldere groove whereby it is engaged by the magazine and removed from said groove when the maga-v zine is inserted in position.

11. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a breech-bolt movably mounted in the frame and having a rib on the under side thereof comprising the side of a groove, a breech-bolt retainer movably mounted in the frame and'having one end adapted to rest against said rib and within said groove when the breech-bolt is in place, said re-' tainer beingmovable to place a part thereof in the path of movement of a shoulder at the end of said groove, and the opposite end of said retainer projecting to the surface of the frame and forminga thumb piece for manual operation to disengage the retainer from the breech-bolt, and means on the retainer for engagement by a magazine upon insertion of the latter into the frame, whereby the retainer is removed from the path of the breech-bolt.

- GRANT HAMMOND. 

